Soft and Sweet, Wise and Wonderful
by RevSue
Summary: Hal is in the throes of a crush on Nanny!


_Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, and I make no money from this work of fiction!_

SOFT AND SWEET, WISE AND WONDERFUL

Nanny went to the kitchen door and called out softly into the darkness, "Hal? I think you should come in, now!"

"This is groovy, Nanny, you gotta come out and see!" Hal's voice sounded excited.

Nanny threw her shawl over her shoulders and stepped out into the cool night. She made her way to where Hal had set up his telescope. "Such a clear night for viewing the stars! They look lovely and bright, don't they?" she asked.

"Look through here! It's so cool!" Hal grabbed her hand and tugged her closer. "You can see the Sea of Tranquillity on the moon really clearly!"

Obligingly, Nanny bent down and looked. "It IS clear tonight," she said. Moving the telescope a bit, she said, "Oh, and there is Cassiopeia and Sisyphus ..." Hal put his arm around her, steadying the telescope, trying to get close so he could look too. Nanny shifted a little to make room for him, although his arm tightened around her so she really couldn't go far. She continued speaking, "I believe it's trained in the right place ..."

"Yeah ... wouldn't it be keen if I could see another star being born or something? Oh, man, right on! Look there, Nanny, isn't that Andromeda, Cassiopeia's and Sisyphus' daughter?"

Nanny peered through the telescope again, their heads very close together. "Yes, I think that is her constellation, Hal. Seeing the stars like this against the blackness of space always makes me think of a blanket of black velvet with little holes cut in it so that the glory of heaven shines through." She turned her head and smiled at Hal who stared back at her.

Something hit Hal at that moment. Seeing the starlight reflected in her eyes, her lovely face so close to his, the sweet softness of her body next to his, suddenly his mouth went dry and he found it hard to breathe. It was how he had felt just three months previously, when she had come downstairs in her great-grandmother's wedding dress to show them. Then, as now, he had thought she was breath-takingly gorgeous. Nanny's smile suddenly froze, she straightened up and backed away from him, but it was too late -- Hal was smitten. Almost dreamily he followed her into the house, and at her bidding went upstairs to get ready for bed.

Biting her lip, Nanny's troubled eyes followed his slow progress up the stairs. Once again she found herself in a predicament not really of her making, and she was afraid it was going to take all her expertise to have Hal escape the throes of this adolescent crush unscathed! Well, perhaps she could make sure he had at least one full night's sleep, which might make him forget. It was a slim chance at best, but it was her only chance for now.

As he got ready for bed, Hal's thoughts were filled with Nanny ... her smile, her laughter, her genuine caring, her beautiful face and even more beautiful spirit. He wondered that he had never really seen her before. As a scientist, he should have been paying more attention. Well, from now on, he certainly would. It was obvious that she had some feelings for him, as well. Look how she had come out tonight and talked about the stars with him! No other nanny they had ever had had been at all interested in what he was doing at the time. He lay back in his bed, not even hearing Butch say goodnight, and paying no attention to the light before Butch shut it off. As he was going over in his mind things he could do to show her how grown up he really was now, Hal rather ignominiously fell asleep.

The next morning, Hal came downstairs early, smartly dressed with his face washed and his hair neatly combed. He hesitated at the kitchen door for a moment, hearing Nanny moving about, then plastered a wide smile on his face and bounced into the room. Nanny turned from the stove and smiled brightly at him. "Good morning, Hal! You're up early today!"

He opened his mouth to reply, and found he couldn't speak. He sank into his chair and kept his eyes trained on her.

"Perhaps if you have a sip of juice, you'll find your voice," she motioned to his orange juice by his place, and turned away to give him a chance to recover. Oh dear, he was still thinking about her like that. She had so hoped he would have forgotten after a good night's sleep!

Hal gulped down half his juice, then cleared his throat experimentally. "Good morning. Umm, the children will be down soon," he said, trying to deepen his voice. "Dad is just finishing shaving."

Nanny hid her smile at his referral to Butch and Prudence as children. "Well, the pancakes are almost ready. Do you want yours now, or will you wait for the others to join you?"

"I'll wait," he settled back, watching her. She was just so beautiful, he thought wistfully. Not very tall ... in fact, he thought he was already a little taller than she was, and he hoped to grow to be as tall as his Dad soon. He sat a little straighter in his chair, and continued his contemplation. Her legs looked long under her short skirt, though, and she was real skinny, too. Then he frowned. Skinny didn't sound right. There was another word that was more elegant, and fit her better. What was it? Slender! That was it! She had a tiny waist, but she filled out her blouse nicely. He blushed and grabbed his juice, hoping she hadn't seen him looking at her THERE. Resolutely he raised his eyes and noticed how she had tied part of her hair back to keep it out of her face. She did it that way a lot, and today she had a pretty ribbon in it, too. It was beautiful hair, and he remembered the feel of it brushing his cheek last night. It was a lot softer than his own, he thought, patting his head discreetly, and real thick and sort of curly. It wasn't just straight like Prudence's. Too bad he had made a fool of himself already this morning. Maybe he should practice some cool sayings and cool moves. He could take his lunch and say something like a groovy rock star would say ... why hadn't he paid more attention to that sort of thing? He couldn't even think of the name of a rock star, let alone what one would say! Well, she wasn't really that kind of girl anyway. She liked old movies and music and stuff better. He'd like to toss her a casual, "Ta, love," like he remembered hearing some English guy say once, but he didn't think he could call her 'love', even though she was. He couldn't say 'dear' or 'darling' or any of those sappy things either, which was too bad because that's how he felt about her. Wryly he realized he'd be lucky to stammer her name ... and then he wished he COULD call her by her name, like Dad did sometimes. Miss Figalilly. It was a pretty name, almost as pretty as SHE was. It reminded him of a flower. Hal sighed again, then, realizing she was looking at him, he straightened up and smiled tentatively, crushing down the nervous flutter in his stomach. She couldn't know what he was thinking about ... could she?

When Butch and Prudence burst into the room a couple of seconds later, with their father at their heels, the kitchen became as noisy as usual. Nanny served the pancakes and joined them at the table. Hal almost forgot to eat as he tried to watch her every movement without letting her see that he was watching her.

"Eat up, Hal, if you want me to drop you off at school," his father suddenly startled him by nudging his shoulder.

"Oh. OH! Yeah, sure, Dad," and he began shovelling in the cold pancake.

"You forgot the syrup," Prudence observed wonderingly.

"Hey, yeah, he did." Butch cried. "Hal, you're weird. You're acting like you're in love again or something."

"You two are such babies!" Hal muttered, his face going bright red.

"Well, you never forgot to EAT except when you were in love. Who is it? Francine?" Butch teased. Prudence giggled and Hal scowled at them.

"A kid like that stupid Francine?" he almost growled. "Hardly!"

"That's enough," the Professor stared pointedly at the two younger children, and they subsided.

Nanny filled in the sudden silence with some cheerful babble and the moment passed. Hal shot her a grateful glance, and she smiled at him. His chest expanded and he beamed back. She DID like him. Attacking his second pancake with enthusiasm, he never realized that her gorgeous blue eyes clouded a little and she grew quieter.

During next few days, Hal started finding things to do especially to please Nanny. He brought her flowers, he tinkered on Arabella trying to tone her up more than usual, he spent hours inventing labour-saving devices that mostly backfired although some DID work. Forgotten was his schoolwork, his telescope began to gather dust, Butch and Prudence teased him in vain to play with them -- all his energies were devoted to trying to win Nanny's approval and special smile and ... although it almost took his breath away ... maybe even a kiss on the cheek?

Nanny grew more troubled when she realized where this crush was leading and that it wasn't abating in the slightest. By the time the third supper had come and gone, with Hal merely picking at his food, and only when reminded, then sitting at the table while she cleaned up the kitchen around him, pretending to eat while surreptitiously watching her every move, her nerves were beginning to be strained almost to the breaking point.

Hal, meanwhile, was perfectly happy in his rather dazed state. He didn't even realize that what food he managed to ingest was quite cold. He found that staring fixedly at the stove enabled him to see Nanny's reflection in the oven door as she loaded the dishwasher and cleaned off the island. He remembered hearing his Dad talk about that psychology professor who had taken Nanny out a couple times, and Professor Fisk describing the blonde bombshell at the Aquarius Club with the words to an old song, "Five foot two, eyes of blue ..." That was all Hal knew of the song, but it sure fit Nanny. She was just that height, and oh, she had beautiful eyes! Such a deep blue, usually glowing softly with a loving expression, making her look so wise and wonderful ... he sighed as he forked another chunk of cold baked potato into his mouth.

That night, after Hal had been sent up to bed with Butch and Prudence, the Professor made a laughing comment to Nanny about Hal's intense behaviour. She soberly sat down next to him at the kitchen table and confessed that she wasn't quite sure how to handle Hal's sudden interest in her. "Hal is your son, and you know him best, Professor. What do YOU think?"

The Professor privately thought it was no wonder Hal felt that way about Nanny, as he himself was losing ground fighting his own attraction which had been growing for a long time. But he certainly didn't want Hal thinking of her in quite the same way! "I'm sure it's a crush that he'll grow out of sooner or later. Once something new comes along -- a new girl, or even a new bike or new microscope!" He chuckled.

"It's in the meantime I'm worried about," Nanny toyed with her coffee cup. "I would hate to hurt his feelings, Professor. He's very sweet and I'm naturally flattered but ..."

"But he's a little young for you," the Professor smiled. "He's trying to act more grownup. Did you notice the little nick on his chin? I caught him in my bathroom when I got home today, he was trying to shave with my rasor, and had the shaving foam all over his face and shirt."

Even in her distress, Nanny had to laugh a little at that. "Poor Hal."

"He was also humming ... I didn't even know he KNEW that song! Imagine, my studious son knowing and HUMMING a top ten hit song!"

"What song?"

"I can't remember all the words, but part of it goes something like 'On the day that you were born, the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true, so they sprinkled stardust in your hair and golden starlight in your eyes of blue ...' And THAT fits you." he grinned. Then he hummed a bit more, and said, "There's also a part 'Why do stars suddenly appear every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be close to you.' I suppose that fits too ..." his voice trailed off as he realized that it truly DID fit ... his thoughts as well! He was really starting to want to be close to Nanny himself! And perhaps this was giving him the perfect opportunity? "Hmm, I wonder if perhaps Hal needs to think of you more as a mother figure, rather than as a potential girlfriend. Maybe if ... well, Nanny, maybe we -- you and I -- should get engaged, or, say, pretend to be planning our wedding, just to see if Hal would switch his feelings, or realize that he DOES think of you more as his mother than as a girl friend!"

Nanny laughed lightly. "Oh, Professor, a little drastic for you, don't you think?"

"These first crushes can be devastating to a young man!" he said, even as he wondered how devastating his own 'crush' appeared to be to him as an older man. He nodded emphatically. "Yes, I'm sure that's the answer. We'll get engaged ..."

"I'm already engaged, Professor," she pointed out quietly. "And the children know that Cholmondeley will be returning some day for our wedding. Obviously my being engaged has not made a difference to Hal and his feelings for me."

"Hmmm," the Professor almost grunted, hating to think about Cholmondeley and her engagement to him. Somehow it had become much too real when the other man had the gall to ask him, HIM, to act as Nanny's father and give her away at the wedding. He had been honoured in one way, to be sure, but to play her FATHER? No, this play acting for Hal was much more to his liking. He was sure he could get into the part of acting as her adoring fiancé. If nothing else, he could take lessons from his son!

"Hardly, Professor," Nanny murmured, getting up to refill their coffee cups.

Not paying attention to her, the Professor grew more enthusiastic about his plan. "I think a pretend engagement would be just the thing! He'd see how a mature man and woman act when they are in love, and he would have to adjust his thinking of you. At least, I hope he would! Now, Miss Figalilly, tell me you really think this is a brilliant idea!" and he put his hand over hers on the table.

"Is that an order?" she asked, glancing slyly at him, sliding her hand away.

"No, of course not!" the Professor was a little cross. "It was a suggestion. I DO think becoming engaged would be an easy way to show Hal that you couldn't possibly be interested in him when you have to cope with me showering you with attention."

"Showering me with attention? Oh, dear. I'm not sure I can handle that," she couldn't resist teasing him.

"So, is it settled, Miss Figalilly? Will you agree to become engaged?"

"You DO mean pretend, don't you? I shan't be responsible if you find yourself tied to me irrevocably, Professor!" Nanny sighed. "If my aunts and uncles, to say nothing of my parents, hear about this, you may find your home invaded and our mock engagement suddenly becoming a very real marriage!"

He grinned broadly. "I can think of nothing I'd rather see, Miss Figalilly, than your family descending on this house en masse. THINK of the stories I'd glean about you! I'm quite willing to take that chance!" In fact, the more he thought about the possibility, the better he liked it. If this worked, he would find a way to change a pretend engagement into a real one!

She smiled reluctantly, then said, "Very well, Professor, you may tell Hal we're secretly engaged."

"To make him believe it, we'll have to tell all three children."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Quite sure," he was firm. "I'll make sure they realize it's a secret."

"That will ensure that the news would spread to the entire neighbourhood," she grimaced.

"Huh? Oh, right. Well, it'll just be something matter-of-fact, then ... and maybe they won't think to mention it to anyone else. And if it does, well, engagements have been broken!" However, already he had no intentions of ever letting THIS one be broken!

"Hmm," was her only response to that.

The next evening after supper, when the two of them together told the children that they were engaged, Hal's face went white and he stared at Nanny incredulously. "You're going to marry DAD?"

"I'm glad we get to keep you forever and ever!" Prudence said. "I thought you were going to marry Mr. Feathers and go away, and that would make me really sad."

"Silly, she blew HIM off just before he left!" Hal said, impatiently. "Dad was right, he was weird."

"Hal!" the Professor exclaimed.

Hal reddened, catching Nanny's rather shocked expression, then he choked out, "Well ... well, Dad didn't like him, and even though he gave me a neat carrier pigeon, he still wanted to steal you away from us! And ... and ... oh, just forget it!" and Hal slammed out of the kitchen.

"What got into him?" Butch asked, wonderingly. "I thought he'd be happy to know Nanny was going to be our mother."

"I'M happy!" and Prudence cuddled into Nanny's arms which tightened around the small girl.

Nanny's eyes lifted to the Professor. "You could go up and speak to him."

"Can you come for moral support?" his hand caught hers, caressing it lightly.

Even though she suspected the action was for the children's benefit, it felt wonderful. She smiled up at him. "Do you really think he wants to see me at this moment?" she looked down at Prudence in her lap, then over at Butch who was screwing up his face at the loving gestures.

"Maybe we should give him time to digest the news," the Professor said, not releasing her. He smoothed Prudence's hair with his free hand.

"Perhaps that would be best," Nanny nodded, leaving her hand in his and ignoring Butch's faces. Hal would not surface again tonight, and she sincerely hoped he wasn't too devastated. Of course, even devastation could be short-lived for a teenager, but while it lasted, it seemed an eternity.

The next morning, Hal rushed in to the kitchen for breakfast, not looking at anyone, then rushed out again after grabbing his lunch and calling back a thank you to Nanny.

The Professor looked askance after him, and Butch said, "He slept in. And he didn't have a very good sleep ... he kept muttering 'I thought it was me' all night. I finally told him to shut up, or he'd KNOW it was him 'cause I'd make sure of it, and he was quiet long enough for me to get back to sleep."

Nanny's lips twitched, but she said nothing as the Professor reproved Butch for telling tales on his brother. It was that afternoon, when Hal got home from school and Butch and Prudence had run out to check on the animals in the back yard that Nanny said to the older boy, "Hal, I just have to pop this into the oven, then I'll be free for our little chat."

"Chat?" he looked rather hesitantly at her. Had he TOLD her he wanted to speak with her? He hadn't even decided whether or not he had enough courage to talk to her yet!

"You DID want to speak with me, didn't you?" she queried.

"Oh, yeah ... I guess ... how did you know?" he demanded.

"Well, it stands to reason, doesn't it? I mean, you are the eldest, and the one who would remember your mother the best. Naturally you are ... hesitant, I suppose we could say, about having me step into her place."

"And into my Dad's bed," he muttered under his breath, wondering whether or not it was the heat from the oven she was just opening which caused her face to turn a lovely warm pink. He cleared his throat, then said, "Can you come into Dad's study so Butch and Prudence don't interrupt us?" he asked. "They're a little young, and this is sort of a personal problem, and a little embarrassing, too, but I have to talk to SOMEONE!"

They walked into the Professor's study and Hal carefully shut the door behind himself. "What is it, Hal?" Nanny asked softly, looking at the tall boy who thought he was a man, praying she would find the right words to help him.

Hal hesitated only briefly, then plunged in, "I've fallen in love with someone -- she's fantastic! I think of her all the time. She's so vivacious and beautiful and ... well, just fantastic! But she's ... well, a little older than I am."

"Oh, I see," Nanny nodded, the sympathy in her eyes echoing in her voice. "Does ... does she love you, too?"

"Oh, not in that way! No, I'm sure she's never thought of it. She's ... well, sort of involved with someone else ... closer to her own age, I guess. She probably thinks I'm still a little kid." now he sounded dejected.

"Perhaps in some ways, but you are quite grown up for all your tender years, Harold Everett!" Nanny smiled.

"I was sorta thinking that even though she's old now, she's not THAT old, probably just a few years older than me. When I'm old, like about eighteen, the difference won't be nearly as noticeable. So when I'm twenty, and if I grew a moustache or something, then I could look even older and then do you think she might decide I'm not a little kid and maybe, well, start liking me back or something?" He sounded hopeful.

"I rather think that depends on the girl, Hal. And how involved she is with that someone else you mentioned."

"That's sort of what I thought," He slumped again. "Aww, why would anyone be interested in me anyway?"

"Hal, you have so many qualities that would interest a young girl, and more are emerging all the time."

"So ... do you think maybe I could, well, TELL her I think she's fantastic? Or ... is that a stupid idea?"

"I'm certain ANY girl would be proud to know you thought she was ... fantastic." Nanny said firmly.

Hal beamed at her. Then his face dropped slightly. "I don't think she'd like to be called a girl, though, you know? I mean, she's grown up. They like being called women, don't they?"

"Most women do." Nanny said seriously, hiding the twinkle in her eyes. "She really is an older woman, is she? So, Hal," now she grew daring. "You haven't told her how you feel?"

"Well, not in so many words," he confessed. "I tried to SHOW her, but I never really said I loved her to her face."

"And you don't think you could?"

"What if she laughed at me?" his anguish was now plain. "I don't think I could stand that. That's why I came to talk to you instead of to Dad. I mean, you might have an idea how she would feel if I said something to her. Being a woman, and all, you know. What if she laughed, or hated me or something?"

"No woman worth her salt would scoff at love!" Nanny said firmly. "Wherever love is found, it is not something one would be laughed at for feeling. I expect she would feel, well, flattered by your interest in her ... and I expect she would be a little embarrassed, too, were you to actually say it out loud. It IS possible she has guessed it, you know, and was too shy to comment on it." she added with a faint smile.

Hal grinned, "Aww, you're just saying that to make me feel better. Grownups aren't embarrassed by kids."

"Oh, they can be," Nanny nodded. "You know, Hal, love can do strange things. For example, you know I love you and Butch and Prudence ..."

"And Dad, since you're engaged to him and all ..." Hal muttered.

Nanny blushed slightly, "Yes, well ... anyway, you're growing up, Hal, and finding that not everything is black and white, nor can everything can be neatly categorized and explained with science or mathematics."

"Like when Dad said that when he met Mom, he realized he didn't always have to think the same logical way?"

"Very much like that. Do you feel any better now that some of this is off your chest?"

"A little." Hal sighed. "I still think it's impossible for me to tell her I love her and for anything to come of it, but I sure wish I had the courage. Life can be the pits, can't it?"

Nanny wanted to hug him, but didn't move. "Bittersweet is probably a good way to describe it," she suggested gently. "Remember when you were sure, just a few months ago, that you were in love with that other older woman?"

"She was just a kid of sixteen. I'm gonna be that in no time. No, you ..." he broke off, horrified at what he had almost said, "I mean, the woman I love now is different."

"All women are different, Hal," Nanny said, this time her smile was more obvious. "You'll find that none of us like to be taken for granted, and that we are all flattered when someone likes us, especially when they show it in little ways that are to make us happy and not force us into thinking WE have to act in a certain way in return. And we do notice it, Hal, believe me." She was serious for a moment as if she was pondering what to say next. Then she spoke again, "You will find, as you continue to grow older, that you will never fully understand women -- just ask your father if you don't trust me! But you will also find that we women, well, all people really, I should think, are very pleased to be appreciated and loved, even from afar. She wouldn't laugh at you, Hal, I KNOW she wouldn't laugh at you."

Hal eyed her narrowly. If he didn't know better, he would swear she was telling him that she had known all along that SHE was the one he was in love with. But how could she? Yet all that stuff about noticing the little things ... and this was Nanny, and he had always thought there was something different about her. He sighed inwardly. Now she was going to be his mother, and he thought he could be comfortable with that ... in time ... Maybe his Dad could give him some hints on how to stop loving someone that way. He must have stopped loving their Mom if he was going to marry Nanny. He'd gone out with lots of women after Nanny had come, and Hal guessed it was time, because Mom had been gone for a few years by then. But all those women his Dad went out with didn't hold a candle to Nanny in Hal's eyes. Maybe he was more like his father than he wanted to be ... if they both loved the same woman! He wasn't sure he was really ready to tell her that he thought she was fantastic or that he loved her, even though she had said she wouldn't laugh. Maybe someday he'd get up enough courage, though.

"Hal?" Nanny's voice penetrated his deep thinking.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Nanny, I was just thinking ..." his voice trailed off.

Just then, Butch burst into the room. "Hey, Hal! Guess what? There's a moving van down on Oak Street near the clubhouse -- and two kids are moving in! There's a boy my age, and a GIRL your age! She's gonna be in your class! She's WAY prettier than Francine. Come on, you gotta see her! Francine is having a fit already, especially since Cindy, that's her name, wants to be a scientist when she grows up! And Toby's great ... you'll like him."

Hal's eyes had widened at the thought of a girl sharing his interests ... and a girl even BUTCH thought was pretty. He had been sure his heart was broken after his Dad had stolen his best girl from him, but after all, Nanny would always be around now, as his new mother, and he wouldn't have to worry about shaving for a few years, so hopefully his hand would get a little steadier, and maybe, just maybe, life might be worth living still.

Without thinking, he threw his arms around Nanny and hugged her tightly. "Thanks!" he said. Then he ran out after Butch, his mind already leaping forward to all the possibilities that lay ahead.

Later that evening, Nanny came into the Professor's office with a cup of tea. She stopped abruptly when she saw his head down on his desk, then realized he was just resting. She placed the tray on his desk as he slowly straightened up.

"Thank you, Miss Figalilly," he said, softly, leaning back to stretch the kinks out of his back and neck. "I am thinking I need a holiday. Problems at work, problems with Hal here at home," he groaned. "Maybe I need a big hug to help me forget the world! Interested?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

Nanny smiled and said, "I daresay you'll recover, Professor. Perhaps a kiss would help?" and she daringly bent down to press a soft kiss on the Professor's cheek. Before she realized what was happening, his arms were about her, pulling her down on his knees as he sought her lips with his own. As their lips met, Nanny stiffened instinctively, then she yielded. What was one kiss? She couldn't deny that she had wanted to kiss him for quite a while now! She lay in his arms, lost on the wave of his urgency, but unafraid, letting him find the mental quietness he needed. He kissed her turbulently and passionately, and she felt the hard, shaky beat of his heart, then his sudden stillness as he came back to earth and realized what he was doing. As his arms slackened, she gracefully slid off his lap and stood poised as if to flee.

"Wait!" he stood up quickly. "I know I should apologize, but, well, we ARE engaged!"

"Temporarily," she said, warily studying him. "For Hal's sake."

"It seems to be working, doesn't it?" the Professor grinned, running his hand through his hair in an effort to keep from pulling her back into his arms. "He managed to eat his supper without mooning around trying to keep you from noticing how he's staring at you!"

"I had a little chat with him this afternoon after school," Nanny said, slowly. "He told me about his sudden love interest ..."

"He TOLD you he was in love with you? He's braver than I'd have been at his age!" the Professor was impressed.

"Well, he didn't exactly say he was in love with ME! He told me how he was in love with an older woman, but he said he knew it was impossible."

"And what did you tell him?"

"Among other things, that no matter how much he grew up, he would never understand women, and if he wanted to hear that from another authority, he would have to talk with you." she couldn't resist teasing him lightly.

"You're trying to say I don't understand women?" he grimaced.

"You're a man, Professor Everett. Ergo, you do not understand women as much as you think you might."

"Is that so?" he stood up, and stepped up to her, so that she had to tilt her head to look up at him. "I thought I was doing a rather good job of understanding you ... and YOU should know what this taunting is leading me to think and do!" He drew her closer, and her eyes closed as she swayed forward, her lips parting to meet his firm and passionate kiss.

As his lips slid down to her throat, she murmured huskily, "This is crazy ... I must be mad letting you do this to me!"

"Am I doing it TO you, or WITH you?" was his equally husky rejoinder, then he silenced her feeble protests with a long, lingering kiss, and she gave up all desire to resist. Instead, she pressed closer to him. At last he drew back and asked a trifle unsteadily, "Have you any idea where this is leading us?"

Nanny's face flamed and her slender body stiffened in his hold. Then, knowing what she was going to see, she turned her head and caught a glimpse of Hal peering through the half-open door. Oh dear, he had seen them, and was understandably distressed at the sight. Still, now he would be convinced that it was serious between his father and her, and after a while would adjust. As the Professor had said, perhaps a new microscope could do wonders. Or, dare she hope, a new girlfriend? But she still had to wonder what would happen when Hal found out that their engagement wasn't real ... or maybe he would never have to know that it started out as a pretence?

She realized that she had relaxed against the Professor again, and she turned back to look up at him. She mouthed, "Hal is watching" and he smiled and nodded.

"I'd do this even if we were alone," and once again his lips closed over hers.

Sensing Hal's retreat up the stairs, Nanny threw caution to the wind, and gave herself up to the Professor's kisses, losing herself for the moment and forgetting all worries about the future, the fact that the Professor was leaning more and more towards making this engagement real and the reality that that prospect was exciting rather than terrifying her. No, she would live for the moment, as befitted a Figalilly!


End file.
